Filter fountain

ABSTRACT

A fountain for supplying filtered water from a water tap comprising a main body and a filter container rotatably secured to the main body. The main body is provided with a screen for building up back pressure so as to direct water through a valve controlled bore into the filter container after which the water passes through charcoaled filtering material and through an outlet. The container is rotatable from a position where the outlet is uppermost for use as a drinking fountain to a reverse position where the outlet extends downwardly for filling a tumbler or other desired vessel with filtered water.

United States Patent 1 3,682,386

Herman et a]. a 1451 Aug. 8, 1972 541 FILTER FOUNTAIN 1,395,321 11/1921Williams ..239/25 [72] Inventors: Lawrence Herman, 108 West End Avenue,New York, NY. 10023; pnma'y Exammer-Samlh Zahama Marvin Rechter, 3 HarbVi Attorney-Kenneth S. Goldfarb West, Lawrence, NY. 11559 [57] 1ABSTRACT [22] Filed; July 24, 1970 A fountain for supplying filteredwater from a water [21] tap comprising a main body and a filtercontainer rotatably secured to the main body. The main body is [52] US.Cl. ..239/25, 210/266, 210/318, provided with a screen for building upback pressure 2 1 2 0/460 so as to direct water through a valvecontrolled bore [51] Int. Cl. ..B0ld 35/02 i t the filter containerafter whigh the water passes [58 Field of Search ..2l0/266, 318, 418,460; through charcoaled filtering material and through an 239/25 outlet.The container is rotatable from a position where the outlet is uppermostfor use as a drinking [56] References C'ted fountain to a reverseposition .where the outlet extends UNITED STATES PATENTS downwardly forfilling a tumbler or other desired vessel with filtered water. 3,030,0294/1962 Slater, Jr. ...239/25 1,050,971 1/1913 Meacham ..239/25 X 2Claim, 4 Drawing Figures FILTER FOUNTAIN This invention relates to afilter fountain for connection to a bathroom water tap or the like foruse in purifying and filtering the tap water and for use either as adrinking fountain or for filling a tumbler or like vessel.

In the past, various adapters have been used in con-- junction withwater taps for providing a drinking fountain or for attempting to filteror purify the water from the tap. The present invention has the furtheradvantage over other devices inasmuch as it may be conveniently securedto any conventional water tap and may be allowed to remain thereon whilethe filtering material is being replaced and which is so arranged as tofacilitate the discharge of the filtering material.

A further constructional feature of the invention is the rotationalmounting of the filter container with respect to the main body of thefilter together with valve means so arranged as to control the fluidflow through the filter means to an optimum degree.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a filter fountain that is simple in construction, capableof being manufactured from readily available materials, which is easy touse and operate, and which is especially effective in removingimpurities in the water from a water tap.

These, together with the various ancillary objects cavity 16 through thebore 30. An operating handle 38 is mounted outwardly of the main body 12and upon rotation advances or retracts the valve head from the positionas shown in phantom lines to the position as shown in solid lines.

The filter container 14 has an opening in its side wall 40 and a bushing42 is provided for rotatably mounting the filter container 14 on thetube 22. An O-lock ring 44 is used to firmly hold the filter container14 in abutting relationship with the main body 12. The filter container14 may be provided with an outlet 46 therein and may include arelatively large top closure plate 48 secured in any suitable manner tothe container 14 such as by locking detents, not shown, or the like. Ofcourse, the size of the closure plate 48 is optional. A screen 50 isprovided for retaining the charcoal filtering material 52 within thefilter container 14 and is of a suitable mesh to do so. The screen 50may be formed integrally with the plate 48. The charcoal filteringmaterial may be loose granules of charcoal which have been activated foroptimum filtering of water from the tap or may be, as shown in FIG. 4,in a carriage 54 inand features of the present invention, which willbecome apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained bythis filter fountain, preferred embodiments of which are illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a filter fountain constructedin accordance with the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the filter fountain;

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view illustrating a modified form of theinvention; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a filter cartridge which may be used asin an alternate form of the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numeral 10 generally designates a filter fountain constructedin accordance with the concepts of the present invention. The filterfountain includes two main parts, a main body 12 and a filter container14. The main body 12 is hollow having a central cavity 16 and is open atthe top and provided with any suitable means 18 such as a threadedretainer for securing the filter fountain 10 to a bathroom water tap orlike outlet for receiving a supply of water. The bottom of the main body12 likewise has an opening therein closed by a screen 20. This screen isof such a mesh as to provide suitable resistance to fluid flow whereby adesired amount of back pressure will be built up. Integrally formed withthe main body 12 is a tube 22 having an end wall 24 provided with aseries of strainer holes 26 therein. The side wall 28 of the main body12 is provided with a bore 30 therethrough. The bore 30 is in alignmentwith the tube 22.

A bushing 32 provides means for threadedly journalling a needle valveassembly 34 in'the main body, the needle valve assembly 34 includes aconical valve head 36 adapted for closing or partially closing the bore30 for controlling fluid flow from the main body cluding an outer screen56 filled with charcoal granules 58.

In use, with the filter fountain connected to a water tap, the water tapis turned on. The flow downwardly of water through the screen 20 willcause a back pressure. Adjustment of the needle valve assembly 34 willpermit fluid flow through the bore 30 and thence through the filtermaterial 52 and upwardly through the outlet 46 to provide a drinkingfountain of especially pure and palatable filtered water. When it isdesired to fill a tumbler with filtered water, the filter container 14can be rotated to a position with the outlet 46 extending downwardly.Closing of the bore 30 will cause all of the water from the tap to passthrough the screen 20 as when it is desired to obtain water forcleansing and scrubbing purposes or external use, thus extending thelife of the filter material when filtered water is not needed.

When it is necessary or desirable to replace the filtering material,this may be easily accomplished. With the top plate 48 removed and thefilter container 14 in its inverted position, all of the to-be-replacedcharcoal filter material can be easily and speedily washed out of thefilter container. Then the filter container 14 can be positioned in itsupright attitude, new charcoal filtering material added, and the topplate 48 placed and locked in position.

A shown in FIG. 3, in lieu of the lock ring 44 and the bushing 42, thetube 122 may be externally threaded at 142 and the side wall of thefilter container 114 may be internally threaded as at 144 for securementin a rotational manner of the filter container 14 to the main body. Inthis form of the invention the cartridge 56 is shown in position.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in theforegoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of the presentinvention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

I claim:

1. A fountain for supplying filtered water from a water tap comprising amain hollow body, means on said body for attachment to a water tap, adischarge ble from a position wherein said outlet is at the top for useas a drinking fountain to a position where said outlet is at the bottomfor use in filling a vessel with filtered water.

2. A fountain according to claim 1, wherein said container is threadedlysecured on said tube, a first screen in alignment with said tube, afurther screen in alignment with said outlet, said filter meansincluding a screen enclosed cartridge filled with charcoal.

III l l =0 l

1. A fountain for supplying filtered water from a water tap comprising amain hollow body, means on said body for attachment to a water tap, adischarge opening at the bottom of said body, screen means closing saidopening for providing back pressure, said body having a bore therein andhaving a discharge tube aligned therewith, a filter container rotatablydisposed on said tube abutting said body, said container having anoutlet therein, filter means in said container for filtering water fedthereto, and valve means cooperating with said bore for controllingfluid flow into said container, said bore extending horizontally, saidtube extending into said container, said container being movable from aposition wherein said outlet is at the top for use as a drinkingfountain to a position where said outlet is at the bottom for use infilling a vessel with filtered water.
 2. A fountain according to claim1, wherein said container is threadedly secured on said tube, a firstscreen in alignment with said tube, a further screen in alignment withsaid outlet, said filter means including a screen enclosed cartridgefilled with charcoal.